There's little use spending money on fancy mics, processors and plug-ins if your speakers are badly placed and your room's frequency response has more peaks than the Himalayas! So here we'll be looking at practical ways to improve your recording and listening environments.

One of the secrets of overdubbing is setting up good cue monitoring for the performer. There are, however, a number of different approaches and it is important to choose the most appropriate for the task at hand.

We conclude our two-part examination into whether the traditional distinction between studio monitors and hi-fI speakers is justified. This month, the power-handling and compression characteristics of our four test monitors come under scrutiny...

An incorrectly set up or unsuitable design of subwoofer can seriously compromise the accuracy of your monitoring environment. We outline the performance characteristics of the different types and show you how to incorporate a sub for optimum effect within your system.

Loudspeakers are traditionally designed for either monitor or hi-fi applications, but is there actually any difference? And just how suitable are hi-fi speakers for nearfield monitoring in the project studio? In Part 1 this month, we examine measured responses.

There's a lot more to 5.1 surround sound production than stereo with extra channels — new, bewildering terms and concepts abound. This month, we explain Metadata, Upmixing, Downmixing, and look at what that centre speaker actually does...

Hugh Robjohns continues SOS's series on surround sound with a detailed look at Dolby Pro Logic, the widely used surround system originally developed for use in the cinema, and considers how you might adapt your home recording setup to allow mixing in this format.

Surround sound in one form or another has been a part of the film industry for many years, but the emergence of affordable digital technology has now pushed it into the domestic mainstream. Hugh Robjohns begins SOS's definitive guide to surround and its implications for the hi-tech musician.